![Skyline](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook024.jpg)
Ah, the imposing Singapore skyline, a truly inspiring sight on a Sunday afternoon. My mother and I had Sunday brunch at the Equinox, a restaurant situated on the 70th floor of Raffles City, offering stunning panoramas of our entire city-state.
![Esplanade](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook001.jpg)
We were fortunate enough to obtain a window seat overlooking the marina and the Esplanade, and I think it cannot be denied that with stunning views like these, the ambience factor of the dining experience is greatly enhanced.
![Interior](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook003.jpg)
The actual restaurant is rather oriental, with a lot of vermillion and wooden trellises. Brunch is served in the form of an international buffet, and there is a very impressive spread encompassing the usual pasta and roast stations, as well as the more exotic saute stations for foie gras and seafood salad.
![Bread](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook004.jpg)
Lots of bread, but somehow none of them looked very appetising to me. The rolls, in particular, seemed extremely hard, so I decided to have my French onion soup without bread. It would have filled me up too much anyway. The French onion soup was pretty good though.
![Foie Gras](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook011.jpg)
The highlight of the buffet probably has to be the foie gras station, with numerous pieces of liver laid out to dry, just begging to be eaten.
![Good Stuff](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook012.jpg)
The livers are pan-fried and served with a croute and a slice of caramelised peach. I was fairly impressed by the chef's ability to handle such miniature slices of foie, without completely disintegrating them into puddles of oil. The foie gras is excellent - slippery, rich and oily, and I could probably have polished off the entire station, but I wanted to try the rest of the buffet too.
![Seafood Salad](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook009.jpg)
There was another saute station serving seafood salad; here you can see fresh prawns and scallops waiting to be cooked and slathered with mayonnaise. Decided to give this a miss, in favour of the Japanese appetisers on offer.
![Starters](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook013.jpg)
I'm not a great fan of Japanese food, but I do think they make for excellent appetisers. Clockwise from top left: soba served with tobiko and spring onions, tofu cube with shrimp served with a mirin-shoyu sauce, tomato salad, roast duck salad, beet root salad and california maki. I've an idea budding of incorporating some of these into my next dinner.
![Main Buffet](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook005.jpg)
The main buffet is an assortment of meats and vegetables, cooked in various ways. There were braised beef shanks, roasted lamb legs, teriyaki chickens, roasted potato wedges and kebabs.
![Meats](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook014.jpg)
Clockwise from top left: Duck breast, braised beef shank, roast lamb leg, roasted potatoes. Nothing to write home about, as some of the meats were a bit dry, but I did like the roasted potatoes, which were flaky on the inside but have a bit of texture without.
![Roast Beef](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook010.jpg)
I headed back to the saute station, not for more foie gras (though I was sorely tempted), but for the roast beef next to it. The roast beef wasn't particularly awe-inspiring, being somewhat on the small side, but by that time I was feeling rather filled up.
![Roast Beef](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook015.jpg)
A nice helping of dark sauce and more of those roasted potatoes are just what this beef needs.
![Panna Cotta](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook008.jpg)
![Chocolate Fountain](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/colinliew/Reviews/Restaurants/Equinox/Spook007.jpg)
The dessert spread at the Equinox is pretty good, including panna cotta, bread puddings, and most importantly, a chocolate fountain. Unfortunately, it's not as good as it looks - the panna cotta wasn't set at all, and just puddled into unappetising creaminess. No complaints with the chocolate fountain though. As extensive as the dessert buffet was, I didn't get the chance to try most of it, since I was feeling rather full.
Equinox is located in the heart of Raffles City, so getting there is a piece of cake. Ambience, as I've said, is pretty phenomenal, though I suppose on a rainy day there isn't much of a view to talk about. Being a buffet, service isn't fantastic, but I suppose it's adequate. The biggest drawback though, is undoubtedly the price. For Sunday brunch, it's $75 per person, without alcohol. With alcohol, it's $90. Rough doesn't even begin to describe it; criminal is more appropriate. Thankfully, my mother had a Feed at Raffles card that let us dine at half the price. Apparently, during weekdays, the price goes down to $40, but the amount of food isn't as generous.
Equinox (International Buffet)
2 Stamford Road
Raffles City
Tel: 6837 3322
Website
Location: 4/5
Ambience: 5/5
Service: 3/5
Food: 3.5/5
Overall: Only if you've got money to burn and the Feed at Raffles card
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